New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Ingmulros’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Ingmulros’ characterized by its small light red colored flowers with a dark spot in the center, very early flowering and very floriferous, with small foliage, good heat tolerance, nice spreading growth habit with excellent basal branching and good vigor.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatienshawkeri.

Varietal denomination: ‘Ingmulros’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guinea Impatiensplant botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and referred to by thecultivar name ‘Ingmulros.’

The new cultivar was developed in a controlled breeding programconducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new New GuineaImpatiens cultivar is very floriferous with small flowers and smallfoliage, early flowering on compact, spreading plant with good heattolerance.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the cross inSeptember 2000 of the proprietary New Guinea Impatiens selectionidentified as ‘G207-1’ as female parent and the proprietary New GuineaImpatiens selection identified as ‘G318-1’ as male parent. ‘G207-1’ isnot commercially available and has not been patented. ‘G318-1’ is notcommercially available and has not been patented.

As a result of this cross the present cultivar was selected as a singleplant in September 2001 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been repeatedasexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in Gilroy,Calif., and in Angers, France over a period of several years. Thedistinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant,starting from a rooted plug and planted in a 12 cm pot, depending on thetemperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Ingmulros.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Ingmulros’ as a new and distinct New GuineaImpatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Small, light red flowers with a dark spot in the center    -   2. Very early flowering with very floriferious habit    -   3. Small foliage    -   4. Compact, spreading habit and good heat tolerance

Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens differ primarily from the plantsof the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the New Guinea Impatiens have small foliage and a compact,spreading plant habit, whereas the plants of the female parent selectionhave larger foliage and an upright plant habit.

Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens differ primarily from the plantsof the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the New Guinea Impatiens have light red flowers with dark spotin the center, whereas the plants of the male parent selection havelight salmon with dark salmon spot in the center flowers.

Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens can be compared to plants of‘Kinic,’ U.S. Pat. No. 11,412. in side-by-side comparisons conducted inEnkhuizen, Netherlands, plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens differedfrom plants of the cultivar ‘Kinic’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens have small light red        flowers with a dark spot in the center, whereas the plants of        the cultivar ‘Kinic’ have small deep pink flowers with a rose        spot in the center.    -   2. Plants of the new New Guinea Impatiens have green leaves,        whereas ‘Kinic’ has dark green leaves.    -   3. Plant of the new New Guinea Impatiens have a good branching,        spreading plant habit, whereas plants of ‘Kinic’ have a        branching, upright plant habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new New Guinea Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plantin full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of this new New Guinea Impatiens. The data which definesthese characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carriedout in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 20 weekold plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the laboratory under ambient light. Colorreferences are primarily to The R.H.S. Color Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification — Botanical.—Impatiens hawkeri.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection            identified as code number ‘G207-1,’ not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection            identified as code number ‘G318-1,’ not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 days.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Outwardly spreading, low rounded and            uniform mounded plant growth.-   Habit:    -   -   Growth and branching habit.—Compact and spreading, freely            branching habit, freely flowering.-   Crop time:    -   -   Plant height.—20 cm.        -   Plant spread.—37 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—13-15 cm.        -   Diameter.—2-5 mm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Internode length.—3.5-5.5 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 183A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Primarily in whorls.        -   Length, mature leaves.—6.5 cm.        -   Width, mature leaves.—1.7-1.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrulate with fine cilation.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous, leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color young foliage, upper surface.—RHS 139A.        -   Color young foliage, lower surface.—RHS 138B.        -   Fully expanded foliage, upper surface.—RHS N189A.        -   Fully expanded foliage, lower surface.—RHS 191A.        -   Venation, upper surface.—RHS 59B.        -   Venation, lower surface.—RHS 59B.        -   Petiole length.—About 0.5 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 1-2 mm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS 184A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single.        -   Number of flowers per leaf axil.—1.        -   Number of flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.—7-8.        -   Flower position.—Above and beyond the foliage and typically            facing upwards and outward.        -   Flower shape.—Rounded, mostly flat.        -   Flowers lasting.—About 10 days on the plant depending on            environmental conditions.        -   Petals.—Self cleaning.        -   Gynoecium.—Persistent.        -   Flowers.—Not fragrant.        -   Flowering.—Indeterminate and continuous.        -   Flowering season.—Year round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden, flowering from spring until fall.        -   Flower length.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Flower width.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 0.6 cm.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Bud length.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Bud diameter.—About 0.5 cm.        -   Bud shape.—Ellipsoidal.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Color, just before opening.—RHS 60A.-   Petals:    -   -   Quantity.—Single, five per flower, imbricate.        -   Length of banner petal.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Width of banner petal.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Length lateral and basal peals.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Width lateral and basal petals.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Lateral and base petal shape.—Cordate.        -   Banner petal shape.—Roughly cordate.        -   Petal apex.—Emarginate.        -   Petal base.—Attenuate.        -   Petal margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture.—Smooth, velvety.        -   Petal color.—Upper surface: When opening and fully opened:            RHS 50B. Spot in center of flower: RHS 53A. Lower surface:            When opening and fully opened: RHS 52D.-   Spur:    -   -   Length.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Aspect.—Curved.        -   Color.—RHS 46A.-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Diameter.—1.5 cm.        -   Aspect.—About 45° from the stem.        -   Color.—RHS 46A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, filaments            free, hooded.        -   Anther shape.—Obovate.        -   Anther length.—About 3 mm.        -   Anther color.—RHS N66B.        -   Amount of pollen.—Scarce to moderate.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 4C.-   Gynoecium:    -   -   Pistil number.—One.        -   Pistil length.—About 1.5 mm.        -   Stigma shape.—Columnar, five segmented.        -   Stigma color.—Red purple.        -   Style color.—RHS 142B.        -   Ovary arrangement.—Five celled.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 144B.-   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Impatiens has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Ingmulros’, as substantially illustrated and described herein.